Eggplant Kottu (Eggplant And Chickpeas Or Moong Beans)

Ingredients	Quantity
Split chickpeas or moong daal	½ cup
Water	1 ½ cups
Salt	1 pinch
Turmeric	1/8 tsp
Eggplants	4 medium
Water	2 cups
Salt	1 pinch
Turmeric	1/8 tsp
Freshly grated coconut	1 cup
Cumin seeds	½ tsp
Green chillies – optional	3
Vegetable oil	2 tbsp
Mustard seeds	1 tsp
Bay leaves	3
Red chillies – optional	3
Lemon juice	1 tbsp
Salt	1 pinch
Chopped coriander leaves	2 tbsp

Boil chickpeas or moong dahl in 1 ½ cups water with a pinch of salt and 1/8 tsp. turmeric until done. Then mash them well.

Slice the eggplants lengthwise. Boil them in a large saucepan filled with 2 cups water, a pinch of salt and 1/8 tsp. turmeric. When eggplants are tender, add mashed chickpeas/moong dahl.

Grind the coconut, cumin seed and green chilies together.

Heat 1 tsp. of the vegetable oil in a skillet and add mustard seed, bay leaves and red chilies. When mustard seeds stop cracking, add this mixture to the eggplants. Add lemon juice. Stir a few times. Add salt to taste and sprinkle with coriander leaves.